Need for Freedom
by Kawaii-Inari
Summary: -For those who are capable of letting loose of the monster inside and setting aside all humanity, they know that the world will be theirs.- The tale of a young woman that will do anything to find her own path in the world even if it means losing her own humanity. She will find friends, she will find adventure but will she find freedom? Slow burning
1. Chapter 1

For those who are capable of letting loose of the monster inside and setting aside all humanity, they know that the world will be theirs.

In the Karanase district stood up a home amongst others because of its three floors and the fact that it was located in a relatively commercial area in which the majority of buildings only had one floor. It was made out of rough cobblestone and dark umber wood, some of its exposed surface was painted a creamy white that had been slightly stained with time and the grime of living in a pretty busy area.

The first floor of said home was an atelier of a somewhat famous seamstress ,Anna Rienk, a beautiful thin and elegant woman in her late forties who made gowns for the ladies in Sina. The store was always busy buzzing with people trying on the dresses,buying the merchandise,and speaking animatedly of fashion tendencies and fabrics as well as the town gossip. The atelier had a welcoming and somewhat comforting ambience, the light scent of honey and vanilla could be smelt all over the tranquil store. As a background noise the soft singing voice of a teenage girl could be heard under all the ruckus, she was working diligently on a wedding dress for a very conservative but luxurious wedding in Sina.

Her name was Nina Ebner, and she was meticulously embroidering a fabric on top of a wide table, her hands worked diligently and expertly like she had done the same process a thousand times before.

Nina resembled her mother, Anna Rienk very much, both of them where the same height, around 1,65m (5,4inc) she had her mother's luscious wavy caramel colored hair although her mother had it cut near her chin an Nina sported it long almost to the waist, her straight nose and almond eye shape where very similar to her mother's but her build and eye color were inherited from her father side, it was a beautiful rich brown shade that was framed with defined eyebrows and thick eyelashes and her body although slim held a very womanly shape.

Said girl in spite of having such calm and serene demeanor while she worked, was having an internal fight of what she desired and what her parents wanted for her.

A certain event was going to take place in her life that would decide how she would spend the rest of her living days either being independent, fulfilling her dreams and being in control of her life or succumbing to a life of submissiveness and service to another being.

Her head was suffering of a slight case of a migraine for all the analysis and the weighting down of pros and cons of her future decisions.

She didn't have a choice but to stop working on the embroidery, such small and intricate detail over a prolonged period of time could also be the starting point for her headache but the first more emotional reason seemed to be the one causing it.

-"Where are those herbs, for god's sake where are those herbs... my head is killing me" Nina moaned, because of the pain her vision was compromised and it was even harder to find the herbs for her ailment.

-"Honey, if you want I can prepare them for you!...go lie down on your bed and rest.

You've been working since dawn on the fabric for that dress it would be a miracle if you didn't have a headache by now, i'm wondering how you didn't get it sooner!" a soft voice spoke out of motherly concern.

-"Thanks mom...i feel like i've fell from the third floor head first into the ground and then getting stamped on by the Miller's ( a family that consisted of 4 chubby sons... they loved their baked cream filled goods, there was no denying it). Nina said in a somewhat jokin and serious tone that left her mother smiling.

-"I'll bring it to you in about 10 minutes"

-"Thanks mom"

Nina went out of the working area of the atelier and headed to the entrance that lead to the staircase to the cozy home that took the second and third floor. She climbed the stairs until she reached her simple but agreeable bedroom rambling and muttering things under her breath.

What her mother didn't realise in that moment was the real reason her daughter was having that headache from, it was because she and her father decided it was a great idea to take her out of the Karanase district and send her of to an arranged marriage to a low noble house in Sina with a man that didn't have any interest in what she liked, he didn't have a strong opinion on anything, he was weak minded, had almost cero personality and charisma, was an ugly turd and needed a bag over his head asap...Yes it was that serious, those many years of inbreeding in the same noble family had left them looking pretty umm... remarcable to say the least and not in a good way.

The physical characteristics can be sometimes overlooked if the man is nice and makes an effort to like and enjoy your presence, understand and share interest with you, but no Herbet the Third Crapper and yes he was called Herbet not Herbert… like it would make it any better anyway.

and YES last but not least his last name was Crapper yes like crap, he was freaking fucked since the beginning of his infancy with those names.

-I don't even know how they thought it was a great idea to send me into the unknown with that man... he was expecting me to become almost a slave, his little submissive and obedient little wife commiting in everything, having his deformed children like a breeding mare, preparing him baths... his food and what else cleaning his sorry excuse of an ass ?

i was not going to pay homage to someone that vacuous and dull!.

I understood where my parents came from with the idea of sending me inwards with the whole Shiganshina fiasco but it wouldn't do anything good to my soul yes i'm that romantic i need my family i need my freedom and space, doing what i like and being independent, they were expecting me to forget my homeschooling the fact that i was curious and i liked working in the atelier with mom.

If you looked at it from my parents perspective i was going to be in an inner district with a nice house, but not a home, with a good income, well dressed and well feed what else can can you hope in life RIGHT! that dimwitted alien wasn't even going to let me work, he just wanted me as a trophy wife.

-Nina was in bed thinking and rambling a little while she waited for her mother to bring her the medicine.

My dad,Albert Ebner, met him during a work visit to the military regime officials, he is a great mechanical engineer he has helped design and improve the 3D maneuvering gear the military use an i think he has also used it himself !, i can't imagine my clumsy father engaging in any physically extenuating activity!, Anyhow my father was talking to a noble man that has a spot in the assembly and that obtuse little imbecile appeared out of nowhere and started talking with my dad about how great the king was and simple-minded chat like that and also that he was on the look for a wife and my father very proudly showed him a portrait of my face and apparently he liked it very much and said he wanted to get to know me better...or get in my pants, who knows.

-There was a knock on the open door and Anna could be seen frowning over her angry looking daughter.

-"Here is your medicinal tea…..taking her time to ask...honey why do you seem so angry and tense?

-Awww mom you are a lifesaver thanks!...I'm just thinking things through, i'm kind of tired i think i might just pass dinner, im not feeling that well mom you know all that embroidery the noise and stress of sending everything in time, its just that, dont worry!.

Looking out in the window sipping the hot beverage to comfort and heal my aching mind. Seeing the pedestrians walking through the busy streets of my neighborhood gave me comfort and stability, they were always there and i always liked to imagine who they were, what they liked and invent life stories of them.

Exhaling a long breath of air... the memory of how we met came rushing through my mind.

We met in the marketplace near my home, he was dressed in blue pants a blue cotton shirt and a blue wool blazer, he had blue moccasins with blue socks... a sucker for blue i guess.

I remember having a shock when i first saw him, his balding blond almost white hair was shining almost translucently with the sunlight, his skin was a ghostly pale white like he had never in his life received any sun, you could see the veins underneath his skin; his blue eyes had no luster and well they were dull and almost dead, like dead fish eyes, his lashes and eyebrows were non-existent, his nose was overly big and crooked for his long and thin face he had a double chin even though he was skinny,thin and cracked lips that hid some of the ugliest rotten and yellowing teeth i've ever seen. If he wasn't a picture of health and beauty i don't know what is...sarcasm i hope you note it.

He just keep staring at me almost ogling. He was checking me out in the same manner you would a thing but not like a sensual object of desire, that i can handle, no… he looked at me like i was a frying pan, no desire, no nothing… it went more between the lines of i want to be you, in a creepy way.

I tried conversing with him to know something... what he did for a living, what he enjoyed doing in his free time if he liked reading, music, drawing, exercising, something out of the ordinary but that bastard just stared at me and answered politically correct things he liked the books that were permitted...so dull and boring brimming to the top with fake information as well as stiff music,he just said rehearsed lines, he didn't know anything regarding history or ancient masterpieces of art, scripture and music.

He offered to buy me something from the marketplace whatever i wanted, but i just denied i wasn't feeling the whole thing it was just plain bizarre.

Like Zarah a friend of mine said he lacked spark and a true personality, he was like an automaton.

Sighting and trying to forget about the problem at hand Nina stood up from her bed, calmly entered her white tiled bathroom, brushed her teeth, washed her face looking at her reflexion in detail she was beautiful woman there was no doubt, rich brown almost green and soulful almond eyes a mole on her left cheekbone that added personality and character, thick lips, oval face an slightly tanned skin and a nice honest smile.

if she ended up having children with that man how would they look like? they most certainly wouldn't resemble her.

Mumuchi her black and yellow eyed cat entered the bathroom in the elegance and mystery only a fat cat like him can muster and went straight for her to get a nice petting, he knew something was wrong with her and came to reassure her.

-"Awww Mumuchi my little fat fur ball who is an ugly little boy!" she picked him up and went straight to bed, the floor creaking softly under the weight of her feet. Since he was picked up he couldn't stop purring loudly to the touch of his friend.

And like that she fell asleep trying to make up her mind about which path she would take.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was giving an eerie glow in the morning, the whole room was permeated in its beautiful light, it radiated strength and life.

And Nina hated every single bit of it. The sun was too bright and hot for her tired eyes and her sore head and parched throat. She kept trying to prolong the moment of blissful sleep, you know when the bed has a perfect temperature not too warm not too cold it's just perfect, the bed feels like its embracing you forever and never letting go... Yeah it's the best thing to do, laze in bed all morning.

Eventually Nina had to wake up and face the day, but first she needed to pee, change her pijama and go to a very welcomed an needed exercise with her best friend Zarah.

Mumushi had left while she was sleeping, probably leading a double life with another family that gave him a double ration of food, and that's probably why he was so fat. Nina smiled at the idea of her fat cat Mumushi eating everywhere and everything. He was a glutton after all.

After taking off her light blue pajama Nina was looking around to find some clothes for her training with her best friend Zarah.

-"Let's see … i need a binding top a soft blouse and some comfortable pants… where can i find those things… in moms closet of course"….

\- "MOM! can i borrow some of your old exercise clothes"….

-"At least say good morning first Nina, where are yours?" the groggy but happy voice of Anna could be heard coming from her bedchamber.

-"Good morning moooom,how are you, how did you sleep? and just for the record those clothes are disgustingly dirty, they can even stand on their own, i used the last ones that i had yesterday. The rest are still drying and probably with this sun they are going to be ready for tomorrow.

Hey mom if you don't mind i'll be turning up a little bit late to the store im having breakfast at Zarah's."

-Oh thanks for asking...she says with a teasing tone and a sly smile... i had a great night sleep. Without your dad snoring and sleep talking i seem to sleep so peacefully...Oh! and before you go get this little present to Catrina (Zarah's mother) you can't keep on going every morning there to have breakfast, invite them home for tomorrow!

My mother was still clad in her cotton pink pajama dress her hair was looking crazy all over the place but she still looked beautiful and charming.

-Hey eat something before you go! I don't want you fainting anywhere! and give me my kiss! Those words were said in a overly motherly tone.

Giving a soundly kiss in my mother's cheek and wishing her a good day i left to my morning errands.

-Be careful in the staircase we don't want you falling in your butt again! hahahaha a faint laugh could be heard and my mom closing her bedroom door to get ready for the day.

-Grabbing a small banana, Catrina's present and house keys i climbed down the staircase in a hurry passing through a corridor that had a window that gave an overview of the atelier.

Screaming a goodbye to my mom and closing the door behind me with my keys. The morning jog begun, the sun was still going strong with its presence warming and burning my skin the people on the streets didn't seem to mind, they actually looked like they were basking in the heat of the solar rays.

The area in which we lived was very lively and fun, filled to the top with commercial establishments owned by families that resided in the same installations for example the Millers lived two houses to our left and they sold the most delicious and appetizing sweets and pastries,by the way I had a pending account with them, a pretty long one by the way apparently i loved those creamy filled goods just as them.

The house in front of ours was white with brown wood accents and long windows from top to bottom. They sold very high end furniture in different sizes,shapes and styles. The owner was called Bernard Wagner, he was a very reserved man and if i'm not mistaken he served in the Recon corps, he held a pretty nasty remainder of the titans wrath, he had lost a leg, fighting for our freedom. And the beautiful yellow home diagonal to ours was Catrina's and Zarah's home it was a one floor house with an art exhibition on the outside, if i must add very tastefully made.

After almost a two minute jog Nina arrived to her friends house, the banana already in her stomach being digested with the present in her hand.

After knock on the door Nina paused and stared and Catrina's art she was a very talented woman, her use of color, light and proportion gave a very realistic and at the same time utopic feel to her paintings bringing a richness that was hardly seen nowadays, that's why she was one of the most coveted painters in Karanes and Sina. not a minute had passed and door open to reveal a short ( 1,52m) toned and tanned figure clad in comfortable clothes.

That was Zarah ,she had a small smile to her face, some freckles across her very high cheekbones an upturned nose and eyes that were slightly slanted in a beautiful forest green,overall her face had a very cat like appearance.

With a pat in the back and a big smile we started talking, we were not big on the hugging and cheek kissing department as some people were.

-"Hi, how you doing Nini? "

-"you can imagine…" a bittersweet smile plastered in the taller girl's face.

\- "i can...So let's start for today we have a lot of ground to cover and it helps not to think about that...I can see that you have been eating some pastries from the Millers in the weekend…" Zarah was giving Nina a know it all grin she was just like the cheshire cat from alice in wonderland.

-" You know i can't help it...and it's true the more i work and do thing the least i think about that...so let's go!"Apparently Nina liked eating sweets when she was worried or stressed out and it didn't help that she had a pastry shop two houses down next to hers and that they gave her special prices Oh or the fact that they were out of this world good.

-"Before we go, is that a present for me Nina...?" She was looking at the package in Nina's hand with a lot of curiosity she was trying to decipher what was inside with a strong glance

-"Oh! I was forgetting, this is for your mom!"

-"Is there something for me too?" Zarah was rather excited to get something

-"Nope, today is not your day Kitten!"

Zarah wanted to join the military police since she remembered and she had been taking me with her to train for a while now. Today was our eighth month of training almost every day. We did something different but it always started with a running route that lasted approximately an hour.

Neither of us had big responsibilities or places to be at an exact same hour everyday our work consisted mostly to help in our parents business learning the trade.

They started by stretching and doing a light jog for about 5 minutes then they brought up the intensity significantly. The idea of the running part was to maximize the running capabilities of each individual their speed, stamina, breath control and heart rate.

Over the eight months of training the two women had made very admirable advancements they endured and were capable of maintaining high speeds for a longer amount of time.

-"You know if i keep these timings and physic I could make it to the top ten… you know maybe.. it would be so nice being in the military police having a comfortable life not worrying about titans helping out …"

"-Don't doubt yourself you will be great, you just have to be careful with envious people that will do anything for that position. don't forget that they can harm you just to get what they want."

-"Nina first don't be so pessimistic im sure most will be good people! And you're forgetting that one of the most important things that are evaluated is the 3d maneuvering gear usage which i haven't even seen in my life."

-"People can be mean and do whatever it takes just to meet their goals… And even though you are right, your physical condition is outstanding and that gives you an edge when using the gear i think the trick is with equilibrium and a strong core WHICH YOU ALREADY HAVE! so stop being so whiny!"

-Zarah was blushing and looking another way incapable of taking a compliment and always looking for negative sides in her performance. She was certain her friend had a point but a part of her was incapable of believing she had a chance of succeeding.

"-Hey take the compliment woman i dont give those that freely!" Nina was giggling a little at her friend's quirks.

"-I wish you could come with me! you could do great too you know"

"-I...know i could in the training part, but my parents are set on marrying me with that bubblehead.

I just want them to be happy and tranquil that i won't be killed by titans... they are still shook about what happen at Shiganshina with my aunt Meryl and my cousins. They were massacred by a flying boulder when the colossal titan kicked the gates.

Also I don't want to die and become titan food, second I don't react well when in fear and I just get paralysed Thirdly my mom would tie me up to chair before she let me join and my dad is much worse. Im their only daughter and i don't want them to worry about my safety…"a dejected tone was heard in the taller girl's voice.

-"You know my mom was reluctant at first but the shiganshina incident was detonant for her, it made her realize that i had dreams beyond Karanase and that i want more to my life than worrying and waiting, i want safety just as your parents and this is may way of getting it.

Talk again with them with that charming personality of yours and quit your sulking and being moody there's going to be a point in which you explode and do something crass you will regret as always"…

-Well i have decided that i will take a mature approach and resing. I can't just put myself in the uncertainty of probably ending up on the suicidal corps and being titan fodder as the bad tongues say.

All other times in my life i would have fought tooth and nail for my freedom, but this is just something that i maybe need to do in order to mature and be a better person, who knows maybe living with someone like him will give me a steel resolve and indestructible backbone, before i end up kill him or myself…I chuckle a bit at the idea of murdering Herbet a dark glow surrounding my figure and giving my eyes a predatory gleam.

\- Oh god stop thinking about murdering him it doesn't help your case you nutjob! Zarah was smiling wildly… if you murdered him i wouldn't help you with the body i would rat you out hahaaha!

-Yeah sure Zarah i don't think so… the idea of blood and organs splattered all over the place would drive you insane and you know why i say this right?… they will make you pick up the pieces to identify them and get to know the assassin and the victim so you could do the filing process of the case you so amicably decided to share with the police but i'm certain...no i'm sure that you would do anything in your power to avoid that situation. an evil laugh could be heard muahahahaha. and then loud coughing... ok at least you know i wouldn't kill anyone right?

-Of course dummy...i know your good maybe you would slap him a little but not kill...i think we could never kill anyone!

-"We do know each other well…oh god why this sad topic?"

-"Well know each other since we were in nappies so if we didn't know each other we would be pretty dense, and the sad topics just come naturally in this messed up world we live in. and I know that we both want to change things since we were little girls"

-Do you think things will change someday, you know with the cults, the king,etc?

\- "Well i hope and wish that our society wasn't so chauvinistic,closed minded with people benerating walls, a fat king that steals from his people and leaves them vulnerable at all times, it's just crazy how can we live like this…Both of us had dark looks upon our faces remembering how much trouble would have been saved if the king wasn't so scared,greedy and indecisive."

-"You know...the other day some soldiers were talking about sending to their death hundreds of refugees...there's going to be a food shortage coming and also an increment on vandalism and theft, we have to prepare.

-And... that's the exact reason my parents want me out of here now…

-I know i know let's grab our breakfast, today was very intense!.

-Tell me about it! i'm already sore."

As both sweaty and smelly women made their way back to Zarah's home conversing amicably about events of the past, some problems were being brewed in the present

by now everything seem colorful and bright but things would start to get bleak pretty soon...

Famine,disease and depression are not tangible enemies, but they were just as deadly as any Titan that has roamed earth and that's the scenery that was approaching our citizens.

-"You should see the look on the clients faces when they try on their dresses, they seem so elated and excited. It makes me so happy that they are so in love them!" Nina had a look full of passion and happiness wich Zarah reciprocated with a small smile that held some sadness.

"Nina you know what... i'll miss having you talking about dresses or dumb jokes... i'll miss home cooked meals... our talks about silly town boys having crushes on us, my mom…" Zarahs eyes started getting tearful... "i will miss my mom so much i don't want to leave her and…"

the waterworks begun, Zarah was sobbing almost uncontrollably her body shocking… "Look at me Zarah" Nina was talking with a sweet an understanding voice because somehow she knew what her friend was going through... "if you get to the military police you could get her a residence and she could be near you and maybe since i'll be married to dum dum we can see each other constantly"…

Nina was trying to comfort her friend with soft spoken words and reassurances putting her arms around her friend's small frame and rocking them side to side gently.

-"If your mom sees you so sad and homesick already, she isn't going to let you go so easily, let's try and breath a little, and plus you look al red and ugly while you cry".

-"Just like you when you cry, don't think you are an exempt ugly crier!

I only have a month left, the recruitment is next month."

-Then we have to makeup for the time we are going to be apart kitten!


End file.
